Mould will keep kids at home

Some Hutt Valley High School students will learn from home next term after the school’s dangerous mould problem has been found in more classrooms.

The Lower Hutt school shut eight classrooms last month after unsafe levels of black mould were discovered in the school’s Block C, forcing some classes to be held in the hall and library.

In a letter to parents yesterday, acting principal Denise Johnson said a lack of available learning space meant older students would be required to shift to part-time remote learning from term two.

Term one ends on April 16, the new term starts on May 3.

‘‘This was in response to the mould found, initially in C Block and now in other areas of the school,’’ the letter said.

‘‘The immediate issue is that we can not fit classes into the reduced number of rooms we currently have.’’

Year 12 and 13 students would be spending 21⁄2 days a week at school and the remaining time participating in online lessons taken by their teachers.

Younger students’ classes would remain at the school.

Rachel Webb, the parent of a year 12 student hoped that in their ‘‘final crucial years’’ of high school students would be given additional support to work from home.

‘‘Ideally they’d be learning at school with their classmates and teachers.

‘‘Hopefully it won’t have a detrimental affect, but everyone will just have to box on and deal with it.’’

In her letter, Johnson said a preliminary learning-from-home day would take place on April 14, so teachers could plan for next term.

Johnson has not responded to requests for an interview with The Dominion Post since the mould problems were reported. The Ministry of Education has been approached for comment.